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MELBOURNE TANGO CIRCUIT
2nd - 8th november 2023
Melbourne Tango Circuit
A program of Special Edition tango activities that celebrates the talent, diversity and sociability of our much-loved Melbourne tango community. This is a community event coordinated by Melbourne Social Tango, in association with the established milonga and tango organisations of Melbourne. Events are Pay At The Door unless advised otherwise.
Thank you to all that attended the 2022 Circuit. Our list of Program Partners for 2022 is below.
The 2023 Program will be released in mid-2023. Contact us if you would like to be involved.
The Melbourne Tango Circuit…where magic happens.
Need more info?
- events@melbournesocialtango.com
Program Partners
Melbourne Tango Circuit 2022 was proudly presented by Melbourne Social Tango in association with:
SPOTLIGHT ON ROBLES DANCE
Fabio Robles is the heart and soul behind Robles Dance, a Melbourne tango institution for over 20 years.
Fab’s Friday Night Milonga is where you will find Melbourne’s best tango dancers hitting the floor every week. It’s a place where anything and everything can happen!
Fabio Robles has been a champion of traditional Argentine tango in Australia and beyond for all his life.
He is a professional dancer, choreographer, musician and teacher of the craft and has developed and nurtured other tango dancers, teachers and DJs, throughout his whole career.
ROBLES STUDIO is located in the cosmopolitan heart of Carlton and is home to various latin dance groups that run regular classes, workshops and socials there.
SPOTLIGHT ON TANGO BAJO
Tango Bajo was established in 2003 by Bill Jarman and is one Melbourne’s foundation tango schools.
Bill, who began his career as a classically trained ballet dancer, discovered tango in 1990. He has worked with many of the world’s best tango maestros both in Buenos Aires and around the world. Bill helped nurture the Melbourne tango scene from humble beginnings and has watched it grow in size and sophistication.
Tango Bajo currently runs regular milongas on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month and holds weekly group classes. Bill also teaches private lessons by arrangement.
SPOTLIGHT ON TANGO ESENCIA
Tango Esencia is a studio focused on achieving exceptional standards of dance. It is located in the heart of Richmond, and is a home for all Tango dancers to gather.
Its principals, Rina and Nadim Sawaya, are highly regarded for their teaching which focuses on improving the body’s natural coordination and deep understanding of body mechanics. This focus is evident in their grace and elegance in their movements and connection in their dance.
Tango Esencia runs group classes, private tuition and several welcoming and well-attended milongas – including Milonga 327 on Wednesdays, Barrio de Tango on every 3rd Saturday and the famous monthly Czech Club.
Image Credit: Fanny Peltier, Creat’her Photography
SPOTLIGHT ON TANGO MELBOURNE
Tango Melbourne is a fresh and vibrant tango school that focuses on making learning tango fun and friendly with an emphasis on developing great social dancers based on cutting edge educational theory and methodology.
Tango Melbourne offers group classes in various levels, private tuition, special focused courses, practicas, and regular milongas.
Tango Melbourne prides itself on developing new dancers and promoting the benefits of dancing socially in Melbourne’s tango scene.
Renee Fieck and Doni Mac are the founders of Tango Melbourne but the school operates as a complete team of teachers and assistants that help people find and develop their tango.
All teachers are continually training in dance, understanding of music and the latest educational processes, creating an atmosphere of learning, empathy and joy. They love that tango is a worldwide community and as a result, encourage their students to dance wherever they can in their local community, as well as abroad.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE TANGUERIA - SIDEWALK TANGO
Dianne Heywood-Smith from The Tangueria – Sidewalk Tango, is a professional tango dancer, performer, choreographer and dedicated, inspiring teacher. Her tango journey started in 1998, learning and training with important tango teachers such as Gustavo Naveria, Aurora Lubiz, Puppy Castellano, Graciela Gonzales and Zoraida Fontclara.
The Tangueria has evolved through Sidewalk Tango, founded in 1998, the dance company of herself and David Backler. Interestingly Dianne and David’s first performance in Buenos Aires was at Confiteria Ideal for the Primavera Festival in September 2000.
The Tangueria – Sidewalk Tango’s teaching philosophy is built around respect for the history and origin of tango, respect for the music, the dance, and for the people who have dedicated themselves to tango, those who have kept, and those who are keeping the art form and essence of tango alive.
The Tangueria – Sidewalk Tango classes are held on Monday nights at 327 Swan St Richmond and Dianne also teaches on Friday nights in Bayswater.
Photo by Jane Clancy.
SPOTLIGHT ON MARCE OSPINA
Marcela Ospina (Marce) is originally from Colombia. While growing up she developed her passion for Tango by listening to her father singing and playing to the guitar. When Marcela was 17 she began studying Ballet, gymnastics and Tango. The combination of these three disciplines, as well as her bubbly Caribbean background, has contributed to her unique style. Since then, she has studied the followers’ technique in depth and perfected her own Tango embellishments and poetic rhythm. Her teaching philosophy consists of developing confidence in the social dancer to express their identity while incorporating specific movements in their own body based on their abilities and conditions.
Her participation in different festivals, championships and performances in Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Germany, has enriched her dancing and teaching skills.
She currently lives in Melbourne and is a talented figure in the Tango community. She is passionate about contemporary dance and is also interested in exploring the change of roles in the dance and the many social values that can be incorporated into tango from this practice. She also runs Followers’ Tango Technique workshops throughout the year and is regularly invited as a guest teacher and DJ by different dance schools in Melbourne and other cities.
SPOTLIGHT ON PROJECT NFT
Project NFT (Neo Fusion Tango) is the largest long running regular Nuevo Tango night in Australia and is run by Belinda Stopar. Tango is for enjoyment and Project NFT offers an alternative way to enjoy your dancing.
Project NFT runs a relaxed, friendly and most importantly inclusive Practilonga where dancing with different people is expected and ladies inviting men is accepted. The music set list is 100% alternative/nuevo/neo arranged in tandas with cortinas. It is not traditional tango music, which immediately lightens the mood and creates an informal and lighthearted atmosphere.
SPOTLIGHT ON TANGO REBELS
Callum and Niki have a longstanding passion for Argentine Tango.
They love traditional orquestas but also enjoy a bit of nuevo and alternative music. They believe there is always room for more tango, and as such, love discovering new, interesting venues in which to dance and share this beautiful artform.